NEW FF ...THE UNEXPECTED updated page 39 - Page 21

Chapter 20.

"You did what?" Champa looked at Sugni with a look of total disbelief on her face. Looking at her, crying , she looked terrible. And Suddenly Champa was filled with anger towards, Vickram. Only it was a helpless kind of anger, as there was not much she could do about it. The Thakurs had all the rights. But he was worse than the others, at least the rest did not give the illusion that they somehow cared about the bedni. All of this drama just so he could ruin her friends life!

"Curse you Vickram Thakur!" She said." I thought he was different the sure fooled us. Sugnihe should rot in hell for this!" She said lashing out.

"Nooo! No Champa its not...:" Sugni began, wiping her eyes and looking at her friend. Shaking her head.

"Oh don't defend him he knew exactly what he was doing! Taking advantage of you!"

"No !He didn't I was the one who..." She said. Champa looked at Sugni. Confused. This whole morning was confusing and unbelievable. When Sugni came at her door this morning, before sunrise, all upset with bag in hand she was shocked. Then after talking to Sugni, she was even more so as Sugni tearfully told her what happened last light. Now Sugni was defending him?

"Sugni?"

"Its true I didn't do anything to stop him I didnt . She trailed off. Its not like you think, Champa..he did not take advantage of me. He was just in so much pain, and I wanted to stop it to take it away I know its wrong . But I could not see him like that!"

"What are you saying Sugni?" Champa asked. "Are you?" She asked her , Sugni nodded.

"Haaye Sita Miya! " Champa said in astonishment.

"That's why I came here I couldn't face him." She said. Sugni awoke from sleep during the night, with a start.Realizing her whole life had changed this night. Nothing remained the same. She was not the same, her relationship with her Thakur Mallick was no longer the same. She recalled his saying he loved her.! She felt the heat on her cheeks as she looked up at him, as she recalled what transpired between them tonight. Gently caressing his forehead as he lay asleep, in the light filtering through the window. He looked peaceful, unlike earlier. The tension and worry lines seemed to have disappeared. Sugni spent a long time just watching him sleep.

Reality came crashing down on her, so suddenly it was almost like a shock. This should never have happened! Everything she tried her life to run from, she ignored. This was nothing to be happy about! "Haaye Sita Miya!! What did I do? " She thought. What was she going to say to him? What could she say? How could she face him.

He had enough problems as it was, and this would only add to it. No! She could not stay here, not now. She was not going to be the cause of any more problems. But where could she go. Back to her uncles? No. Not sure where to turn, she decided to go to Champa, the only person other than Thakur Mallick she had any trust in. Quietly she got up, got dressed and packed her meager belongings into her suitcase. She had no idea where she was going but she knew one thing, she would not return here. She realized she was not as strong as she thought she was. More so now. Yes leaving was the best option.

As she left a sleeping Vickram in the guest house, Sugni wondered what kind of game that fate played with peoples lives. As she blinked back tears. She slowly walked away from the house in the wee hours of the morning leaving her heart laying inside.

As she poured her heart out to an astonished Champa, who was convinced that Vickram was the culprit in the whole situation. Sugni made it clear that it was not like that.

"Wow!" Champa said looking at her friend. "So now what? Where are you going to go?" Champa Asked.

"I don't know , away from here. I Cant stay here." She said. Maybe I can get a job in the next village She thought. Champa looked at her for a few minutes thinking.

"I have an idea, you remember my Aunt the one I was staying with? She is from Chandan village, not far from here." She said

"Yes."

"Well she is sick, and she needs to go into the hospital for some treatment. She asked that I come and house sit for her while she has her treatment. Its just for a couple of weeks I was going to leave tomorrow. But if you want you can go instead. I know it is not for long, maybe you can stay there for a little while?" She said.

"Really?" Sugni asked, she could not believe her luck!.

"Yeah.I will write her and inform her that I cant make it. She wont have a problem. But after two weeks you might have to start looking elsewhere." She said.

"Thank you Champa, I owe you one."

"No But Sugni you sure you want to leave. Its not easy out there" She said indicating life outside the village.

"I have to ."

"O.K. but keep in touch please so Ill know you are ok! "Champa said.

"I will! " She said.

A short while later, Sugni left the village after a tearful good bye from Champa.

Take care of yourself and Make sure you write! She said,as she hugged her.

Vickram woke up feeling disoriented. Where was he? He wondered as he looked around the strange room. It took him a moment to realize that he was in the guest house, and another one to remember exactly what happened last night.!

After a few drinks he came here last night to get away from his disturbing thoughts and feeling of helplessness. Only to end up confessing to Sugni and then flashes of them together started spinning through his head. Her look of shock when he told her he loved her, her tears , her silence!.

"Hey bhagwan! What did I do?" He said sitting up on the bed and burying his face in his hands. He looked around for his clothes finding it scattered on the floor.

"OH God, that poor girl!" He thought he felt almost sick inside, " How could you do this to her Vickram!...You selfish bas***d" He self loathed as he got dressed. Now what? How was he going to fix this. She trusted him. And this is how he re-payed it?.

Knowing he had to face her sooner or later, not knowing what he was going to say to her. He dreaded , facing her. His mind coming up with visions of her looking at him with pure hatred, or worse distrust and hurt. But he had to make sure she was alright. He would deal with the rest as it came. All he needed to see was that she was ok.

"Sugni? " He called into the silent house. There was no movement. He checked the other rooms in the house , the kitchen, bathroom , living room but she was not here. Glancing at the clock he saw that it was 7 A.M. Maybe she went to the main house. He walked out of the guest house into the main one, the house was still asleep. Thank God for small mercies no one saw him coming out of the guest house.

The main kitchen was empty. By the looks of it she was not here. Again he checked through the house but she was not anywhere. Vickram's feeling of trepidation grew. Where was she? His mind kept bombarding him with horrible thoughts. What if she left , unable to accept what happened!. Or worse what if she hurt herself because of this. Vickram stopped cold on that thought. Now desperate to find her!.

Coming downstairs he spotted Ramu Kaka coming into the front yard to start his day" Ramu kaka you saw Sugni? is she with you?" He asked, knowing that she would sometimes have meals at their place.

"Sugni ? No Thakur Mallick not since yesterday. She is probably still in the guest house..Ill go call..."

"No dont bother! he said , knowing fully well she was not there. Ill find her"

"Ok" Ramu replied , continuing inside.

His fears that she left became more stronger as he made his way back into the guest house. Back to the scene of the crime more like it. Doing his best to ignore the site of the unmade bed, a blatant reminder of just how low he stooped, he walked to the closet and found what he expected, her clothes were gone.

Looking around desperately for any thing to let him know where she went, a note. He fond none. Sighing sadly Vickram dropped on a chair almost lifeless. He was wrong last night he thought his world was falling apart., he was wrong . This morning his entire reason for existing was gone. And the only person to blame was himself.

3 days later:

Sugni helped Milli Kaki, Champas Aunt with packing as she got ready to leave for the hospital. After getting to Chandan village and showing Milli Kaki the letter. To her surprise the sweet lady accepted her at face value.

"So sorry to hear Champa is unwell beti! I hope she gets better soon!" She said sadly.

"Champa will be fine" Sugni said feeling bad about lying to her. "thank you for letting me stay here kaki!" She said gratefully.

"Oh nonsense!, Champa is my darling, and whenever she comes here she talks about her best friend. How because of you she choose not to follow in her mothers or my footsteps! God knows beti when you reach my stage in lifet hat being a bedni is not easy. You cant dance and all the Thakurs have young girls, us old ones are discarded like old clothes." She shook her head, in disgust.

It was true, as Sugni learned due to her bad knee and other problems , Milli Kaki could no longer make a living as a Bedni. It was doubly hard on her as she had no children, but she was smart and made her living by teaching dance o the girls around growing up. She was supported by the other village women who rallied around one of their own in her time of need. It was a sad situation, and one again that enforced Sugni beliefs as to why she was trying so hard not to become one of these women.

After she left the village, Sugni spent the bus ride clinging to her key chain, a reminder of Thakur Mallick. Tears tricking down her cheeks as memories of the night before and him ran through her head. Did she blame him, no. Was she angry at him? Now that time had passed . No. Because she knew him and she knew that what ever happed between them was not all his fault.. As her mother said It took two hands to clap.

Sugni was scared though, but not for the reasons Champa thought. She had enough faith in her Thakur mallic to know he would not hurt her. She was afraid of herself. She could never understand why her mother, no matter what she was going through, always found a way to make excuses for Jwala Thakur. But now maybe she understood. Harboring feelings for someone so strong that the line between what is right and wrong seemed so blur.

She also knew if she she stayed their she would end up in all likeliness as his bedni, only this time she might be the one holding out the red chunri to him with a smile. She loved him, maybe she did from the moment she met him. She knew she would always love him, her heart would never belong to another. If she stayed, she would not be able to stay away from him, she could not stand to see him in that unhappy state.

If she stayed, not only would her dream be killed, she just might end up dying a little every day, as she was sure to end up the laughing stock of every one who said all she had was big talk. So it was the best decision for them all if she left.

Even though she kept telling herself that, it took all of her self control not to come off the bus and go back. It was with relief that se stepped of the bus. She spent the last 3 days, keeping herself busy as she could. Making Sure Kaki was properly resting, she throw herself in helping her keep her small house in order. When that did not work, she bombarded her with questions about the old days, just so she did not have to think, feel, cry.

Now finally Kaki was ready to leave, for her treatment , that would keep her in the hospital for a few weeks.

"oh SugniI spoke to the other ladies, and told them you will be taking over the teaching while I am gone. You dont mind?" She said.

"Of course not!" She said

Good you can use that to buy whatever you need, ok! She said. And remember Chottu is supposed to come and fix the roof I already paid him so dont let him tell you otherwise.he is a smart one!" She warned.

Sugni chucked.

"Ok Kaki Ill handle it you dont worry. Just make sure you take care of yourself and your treatment ok!" She assured her.

"Theek hain beti.I better go now." She said gingerly getting off the bed,making a move to hold onto her small bag that Sugni grabbed before she could get to it.

"I'll walk you to the bus stand.! Maybe I should go with you and see it is all ok."

"No no beti.I will make itthe bus driver knows me. Dont worry!"

Slowly Sugni and Kaki made their way to the bus stand. Kaki reminding Sugni again of everything she had to do. Sugni listened with a smile, as she listed for the twenty fifthtime! All to soon the bus arrived and Kaki went into it waving Sugni a good bye.

"Haaye Sita Miyatake care of her!" She said squeezing her little figuring in her hand. Sugni waited until the bus drove off, then she turned and began walking back to the little house. The moment she feared was here, the time when she would be alone with her thoughts.

Sugni wondered how would these two weeks pass by when all she had for company mostly herself. "Sita Miya give me the strength to do this, please!" She begged, clinging to the figurine.

The next morning Sugni woke up after a restless night. She was determined to keep herself busy by working around the yard. Fixing plants and pulling out weeds. At lunch time she took a break to fix herself something to eat. As she was washing her hands her mind went back to Vickram and the day she was planting the roses. The way he took care of her hands. Some how he was always there for her when she needed him.

Sugni wondered if he was OK. In her haste to leave, she did not even leave him a note to tell him goodbye. What must he be thinking of her? Oh how stupid of me! She thought. She decided she would send him a letter via Champa to let him know she was OK and he should not be guilty. It was the least she could do!

After her meal, Sugni dug around until she found some paper and a pen and sat down to write.

Dear Thakur Mallick, She began in the first line. Her hands began shaking as she wondered what is it should she say to him. She closed her eyes trying to figure out the correct words.. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sugni sighed at the interruption wondering who it could be.

"Coming!" She called as she made her way to the door. Sugni opened the door at started in utter shock at the figure standing in front of her. His unshaven face, bloodshot eyes and unkempt state telling her more that what words could.

"Th..tHakur Mallic! "She said.

"Sugni" He said

Climex me hi the end